December 22, 2015

Week 2: A Hulk in Latin America

Hi everyone! To update you on how things are going here, the work is still really hard. It feels like I start to get the hang of things and it gets harder, but I'm glad I'm here and I'm having a good time. I read my patriarchal blessing often for motiviation, and it works really well. I know they say you find something new every time you read it, but I've never realized how true it is until now. It's blown my mind at least 10 times now.

Still improving my Spanish.  The teachers are pretty impressed with my improvement. I can carry simple conversations now, and I spend a lot of time speaking with the Latino Elders. I still feel a little inadequate and behind though, because we do mock investigator lessons with the teacher, and we butcher it every time. But I feel like I'm doing better than what they expect by this time, so that's good.

The Latinos are pretty cool. Most of them are really nice and funny. They are mostly really skinny. They all think I'm a Hulk, because a few of them have sports at the same time as we do, so they see me working out. You could say everybody considers me the authority on health and fitness in the CCM now.

I'm doing everything you told me to do to stay healthy so don't worry. The food here is really good. It's like Mexican food but not spicy. We don't get the biggest portions, but there's a fruit bar too. Anyway, most of the food is REALLY good. Sleep isn't as much of an issue as I thought it would be. I go to sleep pretty easily, but my roommates and I talk for like half an hour before we fall asleep most nights.

We've all gotten to know each other pretty well. And we all like each other a lot. There are 4 sets of bunk beds per room. Originally we only had 2 of those occupied, but when the Latinos came, a couple more North Americans came and are roomed with us now. So my rooomates are: my companion Elder Lofgran from Idaho, Elder Radke from Oregon, and his companion Elder Mailo from Hawaii, and the two new Elders, Elder Christensen from Sandy, and Elder Bingham from Idaho. We all have small wardrobes to keep our things in.

It's really beautiful here. I really want to come back to Guatemala City after my mission. I'm pretty sure I'd want to revisit Quetzaltenango too, all the Latinos tell me its really cool. So lets plan on a family vacation when I get off my mission. :)

Love you! Can't wait to talk to you on Friday!